William lillet



nit-chui tetra atentit'ifirr.

LettersPateat No. 75,555, dated March 17, 1.868.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROPAGATION AND TREATMENT 0F HOUSE-PLANTS,

alle guante nicht It im that datas ittnrt mit mating gaat nf tige time.

fro ALL WHoM Ir MAY oon-onen;

Be it known that I, WILLLAM LILLEY, of the city of. Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a'fcertain newand usefull Improvement i'riPropagating and Treating House-Plants; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, aud'ex'actdescripton of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,.and to the letters and marksthereon,-Which said drawings form part of this specification, and represent a saucer for a flower or plant-pot@- Figure Ithereof being atop View, D

Figure 2 a view by cross-section, ou the line :c y of iig. 1, and

' Figure 3 a side view. i I

In each ofthese'igu'es like marks and figures are-used to lndicate like parts.

i In propagating or growing plants, either from cuttings or from seed, in ordinary apartments and dwellinghouses, t-is well known that the air is too dry for a healthy and thrifty condition 'of mo'st ofthe pla-nts usually thus cultivated, and known as house-plants. A too dry condition of the' atmosphere surrounding plants subjects them to injury from aphides or 'plant-lice and other insects, and therefore frequent-sprinkling and Water. ing of'theplants has to be resorted'to. It' plants or cuttings be placed in the pot standing in the saucer non" in common use, the water about the roots of the plants or aboutthe granulations yof the cutting, will generally beitoo'tgreat in-quantityif the pot befreelywatered, or to dry, if scantily watered, for most cuttings and plants,

thesupply ot' viator and 'drainage `always being diilicult to regulate, unless under. such circumstances and conditions.`

My invention hasforits object the remedying of thedifiiculties here alluded to in propagating and culti-- vating house-plants; andjit consists inso forming a saucer for the pot that, whileaproper supply ot vater is afforded to the roots or granulations, the leaves 'and flowers shall also have the benet and advantage ot' a moist orhurnid condition of' the air immediately about them.

The saucer, it will .be 'noticed, has an upward deection or extension, a, the top, b, of whichforms the floor' for the bottom ofthe pot.' This top, b, has a slight rim, c, with vtwo or more notches, ol, so that the drainage from the pot willnot beinterrupt-edor interfered,With.v The annularv space e, between the extension t and thc sides, j' of the saucer, is the Water-chamber. For some plants'andA cuttings the supply of-Water to this-chamber wili need to be full,r while for others scant, depending upon the character and condition of the plant or cutting, or

of the'kind of. seed, if nthe cultivationhe from seed,aso that, in som-e'instanccs, the quantity of water drained through the earth in 'the p ot'will belsuicient, While, in other instances, water can be poured direct into the Ispace e. Y `The.tv'atcriu this chamber undergoing evaporation to a greater or less degree, due to the temperature of the air, will pase 'upa current of moist air into and among the leaves and flowers, and thus give to the plant allthe benefit thattplan-ts have from a proper condition of air in well-regulated conservatorics.

i In all unglazed pots and saucers, and in such as havethe exterior' surface only glazed, water will iind its way up -to the earth in the pot by absorption through the pot itself, and this, in many instances, will answer best r for some plants or cuttings that may requirespecial treatment. It' the exterior surface ofthis saucer he glazed, the evaporation of the water through its sides will be prevented, as will also be the case with the pots if the exterior surface be glazed, while the drainage and absorption willbe continued.

As is evident, in carryingvout my invention, saucers of otherforms than the one here shown and described y may be used, so long 4as the principlesupon which it is constructed are-retained, and, instead ci having the exterior l"surfaces glazed; as herein n auned,.they` may he painted or coated with some material or solution to prevent evaporation. i

WhatI claim asmyinvention, and desire 4to secure b y Letters Patent, is-'e- Propagating' and treating' house-plants in the manner and by the means substantially as and' for thc" purposes herein set forth. v

' This specification signed, this 12th day of February, 1868.

WM. LILLEY.

Witnesses Taos. T. Evannfr'r, '.l.' SMITH. 

